Love Like This
by Crystal565
Summary: What if Piper and Phoebe weren't home when Leo was first there? What if Piper met Cole first? Piper/Cole, Prue/Leo.
1. The Hot ADA

This is an AU of the series, starting in season one. When I was thinking about doing this, I decided to make this a Leo/Prue pairing. I was thinking of Leo/Phoebe but to be honest I just don't think that Phoebe and Leo would have been a good match, at least not when she was this young. I always thought that if he wasn't with Piper, he'd be a better match for either Prue or Paige.

This chapter is just snippits of Prue/Leo from season one and two, and I did a lot from The Honeymoon's Over with Piper/Cole. I know this is a little weird, but I hope you like it.

Don't own anything

* * *

"Thanks." Leo said, smiling at Prue and taking the coffee. Piper and Phoebe were both gone at the moment.

"No problem." She smiled back at him. "So, find anything?" Leo shook his head.

"Sorry. I can go and put these up for you." He held up the flyers with their cat's picture on them.

"Uh, you know what? I'll go with you." She said, grabbing her cell phone.

"You don't have to do that." Leo said, shaking his head. "Besides, isn't it my job here?" Prue waved that away.

"I could use the walk. You know, get some fresh air." She said, and without waiting for his answer, she hooked her arm into his and pulled him out of the house.

* * *

"I don't know." Prue said, sitting back on the couch. "He keeps dancing around it."

"Yeah well. You've never been the shy one before." Piper said, sitting next to her.

"I'm not shy." Prue protested. "You may not have noticed but he's not exactly around all the time."

"Well, maybe he would be around more if you told him that you liked him."

"Maybe."

* * *

"Uh, Leo?" He turned to her.

"Yeah?" She smiled, walking closer to him.

"I just…I need to talk to you."

"About what?" She looked down for a moment before meeting his gaze.

"The thing is that, well, I like you. A lot, actually. As in more than a friend or the guy that comes to fix the windows."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Prue stepped closer. "So, the question is, do you like me?" Leo looked down as well and then met her gaze with a smile.

"Yeah, I think I do." Prue smiled wider and pulled him down for a kiss.

* * *

"So, wait." Piper said, sitting down next to Prue. "Leo's human now?" Prue nodded.

"Yeah." Piper frowned at her.

"Okay, so what's the problem?" Prue sighed, looking over at her sisters.

"How long is this really going to last? You really think they're going to just leave him down here forever? What happens when he does get his powers back?"

"Well, I think you'll find a way to work it out." Phoebe said, hugging Prue. "You've never been a quitter before."

"Phoebe's right. You'll work it out."

"Easy for you to say." Prue said, looking over at Piper. "You're boyfriend's perfectly normal."

"Yeah." Piper scoffed. "Perfectly normal and completely unaware that I'm a witch."

"Well, like you said, we just have to have faith. Leo and I and you and Dan…"

"Right."

* * *

Piper sat despondently in the attic. She was feeling a little depressed after the disaster with the genie. Prue's death, even if they had brought her back, and what happened with Dan still weighed on her.

"Hey." Phoebe came into the attic.

"Hey." Piper smiled at her. Phoebe sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry about Dan." Piper shrugged.

"It's okay." She sighed. It had been a week since they had split. Split because she was a witch. She stood up, pacing away from Phoebe before turning to face her again.

"It just makes me wonder, you know? Dan's reaction to all this."

"Makes you wonder what?" Piper hesitated.

"If they'll all react that way." Phoebe shook her head. "I mean, it's a lot to deal with, isn't it? And we can't exactly go looking for whitelighter's too." Phoebe sighed and stood up as well.

"Don't worry, Piper. You'll find someone. Someone who can handle this. Besides, I think this is a little bit early in the game to be worried about this."

"Yeah, you're right." She said, hugging Phoebe.

* * *

"This had better be good." Piper said into the phone. But, come on, it was two in the morning. Phoebe was gone to her current boyfriend's house and Prue was still MIA with Leo "up there".

"Piper, did you get the fax I sent you?"

"Oh, right. The murders. Yeah, checking that now." She picked up the picture of the victim.

"I checked the book, and I think I know what it is." She frowned when she heard voices in the background. "Darryl, where are you?"

"I'm tracking the guy. He's at the pier street rave."

"No! Darryl, you have to stay away from him. Let me call Phoebe and we'll meet you there."

"And let him kill somebody else? I don't think so."

"Darryl, you can't stop him."

"I can take care of myself, Piper. Look, I gotta call you back."

"Damn." Piper slammed the phone down when Darryl hung up on her. Grabbing her cell phone, she ran out of the house. She couldn't let anything happen to Darryl.

* * *

"No!" Piper grabbed a trashcan lid and slammed it into the man's face before he could kill Darryl. He collapsed backwards and unconscious. Piper backed up, however, when something came out of him. Piper held up her hands and it froze.

Relieved, Piper picked up the athame and threw it. When she tried to stab it, unfortunately, it just went straight through the thing. Frowning Piper looked it over before lifting herself up and stabbing it in the forehead.

She stepped back as the guardian was vanquished.

* * *

"I finally got a hold of Phoebe, but I told her to just stay away for now. I don't think it'd be good for both of us being in this."

"Yeah that's probably a good idea." Darryl said. "You also might want to come up with what you're going to say."

"Say?"

"Yes. Piper, you're the only witness."

"Oh, no, no. What the hell am I supposed to say?"

"You better decide fast because here comes the ADA." Piper turned and froze. The man was tall with dark hair and blue eyes.

"Um, hi." He reached out a hand for her to shake.

"I'm Cole Turner, the assistant district attorney. I hear that you saw what happened."

* * *

"No, don't worry, Phoebe. I've got it. Besides it's not like any more guardians are going to attack in the courtroom. I'll be fine. And I don't think it'd be wise to get you on the cops radar as well."

"Alright, alright. Just…call me if anything happens."

"I promise." Piper hung up the phone and went into the courtroom. She smiled at Cole.

* * *

"You alright?" Phoebe asked, sitting down next to her.

"I'm just feeling a little guilty." She sighed. "About lying and all, and letting that dirt bag go free."

"It's not like you could have told the truth, Piper. Then we'd be the ones behind bars. Piper dropped her head back. A moment later, though, a slow smile spread over her face.

"Cole was amazing, though." Phoebe smiled knowingly, putting an arm around Piper.

"See something you like?" Piper rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't leave.

"Maybe."

"I don't care!" Prue's voice came from thin air. Piper and Phoebe both jumped to their feet and watched as Prue and Leo both orbed in behind the couch.

"I know you're angry, but it's their rules."

"Damn right I'm angry! Screw their rules!"

"Prue-"

"Just a second." She cut Piper off. "You better do something about this, Leo. I don't know what, but it's not acceptable."

"Prue-"

"No." She cut him off this time and some of the anger drained out of her. "I think I'm going up to my room." And she marched out of the room without another word.

"What the hell was that. I didn't even get to bitch at her." Phoebe said. She turned to Leo. "So, now I get to bitch at you."

"Uh, you know what, hold that thought, would you?" She put a hand on Phoebe's arm. "Um, Leo, could you do us a favor and go up there and ask them what they know about guardian demons."

"Sure." He said with a sigh before orbing out. Phoebe glared at her before turning and marching after Prue.

"Great." Piper said. And she still had to go set up the club.

* * *

"You could have at least orbed or called or something, Prue. We thought you weren't coming back." Prue frowned.

"What are you talking about? I've only been gone for a day."

"A day?" Phoebe asked incredulously, grabbing a newspaper from the nightstand. "Prue, you've been gone for a month. Check the date." Prue's eyes widened.

"You have got to be kidding me. I guess time moves a little differently up there."

"Guess so. You know, you're lucky you already quit Bucklands or you would have had more explaining to do." Phoebe sat down next to her and felt some of her anger fade. She was also noticing the half sad, half angry look in Prue's eyes.

"What happened up there?"

"Oh, you know. Nothing much. Just that the elders said that we had to break up, or else." Prue shook her head. "I knew something like this would happen."

"Prue…I don't think you should be giving up just yet. Leo loves you, you'll work this out. He'd never leave you."

"And if he doesn't have a choice?"

* * *

When someone tapped her on the shoulder in her club, which was supposed to be empty at the moment, Piper spun, raising her hands and automatically freezing who it was.

"Oh." She said, staring at Cole. She looked him over, a small smile on her face, and unfroze him.

"Cole, hi." She said. "How did you find me?"

"Told you I was good at my job." He said, smiling at her. "Although you probably wouldn't think so after my performance in court."

"No." Piper shook her head. "I thought you were amazing." He smiled a little wider at her, and Piper thought that smile? It could make anyone's knees buckle.

"Thanks, but I know I didn't put on my best case, that's why I'm here to see if you can help me do a better job."

"How?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Look, Piper, I may not be the greatest prosecutor but I've got good instincts, I can sense things about people, things they might not even want me to know."

"And what do you sense about me?"

"That you're struggling with the truth. That you're a good person who wants to do the right thing here but for whatever reason you can't. How am I doing so far?" Piper looked down, not answering and felt guilt again for having to lie to him even if she knew that Phoebe was right.

"If you think of anything," he held out his card and she too it. "Please call me. Home number's on the back. Bye." Piper watched him leave and smiled as her sisters entered the club, both of them checking Cole out.

"That's him?" Phoebe asked. "Way to go, girl! He's hot." Piper rolled her eyes.

"Thanks. But it's not like we're dating."

"Oh, yeah? Then what's this?" Phoebe took the card. She was about to say something when she gasped, and closed her eyes. Piper and Prue exchanged worried glances, they knew that look well.

"Oh, no." Phoebe said when she came out of the premonition, looking at Piper.

* * *

"So, Prue and Leo are getting married and you landed the hot ADA. I'm feeling a little left out here." Piper rolled her eyes.

"I did not land the hot ADA." Phoebe smiled.

"But you agree that he's hot?" Piper stuck her head in the refrigerator, coming out with a bottle of water.

"I'm a woman and I'm breathing. Of course he's hot. That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" Piper let out a frustrated breath and started out of the room, Phoebe following.

"Oh, come on, Phoebe. He _is _the ADA. And the only reason he was talking to me was because I was a witness."

"Do not tell me you're going to start doubting yourself like you did before you started dating Dan. Look, all I'm saying is that maybe Cole is interested too. You should think about it."

Piper watched her go upstairs, frowning slightly, fantasies playing in her head that included Cole. Maybe she would think about it.

* * *

Okay, so explanations. I don't like rewriting entire episodes word for word. I know that Prue and Leo's relationship would be different because of her personality differences compared with Piper, but I didn't want to rewrite the entire show, especially when the result is the same.

I know I also skipped chunks of The Honeymoon's Over. The only one's I saw that really needed a rewrite were the Piper/Cole scenes and a few of the Prue/Leo one's.


	2. Stay

Once Upon A Time, Primrose Empath, and Sleuthing With the Enemy are the episodes I used for this chapter. This is the last chapter that I will be rewriting scenes from episodes on. I'm not going to use any of the other directions between Sleuthing With the Enemy and All Hell Breaks Loose. There were about thirteen episodes between those two so I figure I've got quite a bit of time to work with.

* * *

"How is she?" Piper asked after she came home from the club. Phoebe was sitting on the stairs with a book in hand but Piper doubted she was actually reading it. Phoebe looked up at her and sighed.

"Not well. She had this dream..."

"About Leo." Piper finished, sitting down next to her.

"I've never seen Prue like this before, Piper. It's like she's completely given up."

"Prue never gives up. On anything."

"I know." Phoebe closed her book. "That's why it's so worrying."

* * *

"He asked you out?" Phoebe asked as she and Piper started over to Kate's house.

"Uh, Phoebe, I think we have bigger issues right now, don't you?"

"Yeah." She paused. "So, did you say yes?" Piper rolled her eyes in exasperation and pulled Phoebe up Kate's driveway.

* * *

Piper leaned back against the door after they had rushed Cole out the door, feeling like a complete idiot. She had just met the guy and was already racking up unexplainable events. Sighing she looked over at Phoebe.

"Stairs can be sobering?"

* * *

Prue stood in the driveway, still staring up at the sky and feeling like maybe she would break down again. She hated them in that moment, hated them so much for taking him away from her.

She was so angry. Anger was something she did well. It was even the emotion that fueled her telekinesis. And she felt like she could probably move the manor at the moment if she wanted to.

Sighing, she started home. She couldn't let a little girl die because she was angry.

* * *

"I can't believe you're here." Prue said, resting her chin on Leo's chest.

"They didn't do it to torture you, Prue." She rolled her eyes, and slapped him lightly on the chest.

"I know that now. If I didn't they probably wouldn't have let you come back." She grinned and rolled over on top of him. "I'm glad you are back."

"Me too." He grinned back at her and she leaned down to kiss him.

* * *

Piper hung up the phone with a smile on her face and Phoebe pulled her towards the stairs.

"Looks like everything's going to work out after all." Phoebe said, smiling as well. "So, are you and Cole dating now?"

"Phoebe…"

"What? Kate's safe, Prue and Leo are together. No more pressing issues." Piper simply removed Phoebe's arm from her shoulder.

"Actually there is. Sleep. Good night." She smiled, closing her door on her sister.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Wow." Prue stared at Leo as he came into the room. He smiled at her.

"What?"

"It's just…I mean, I felt it with Piper and Cole, but it's completely different when it's directed at you."

"Prue, what are you talking about?" Prue didn't answer, though. Instead, she walked over to him and brought him down to kiss him.

* * *

"Piper, what are you doing here?" She stood nervously in Cole's door and walked inside when he opened it wider.

"I…I came to tell you something, actually." She looked down for a moment, doubt creeping in. What if Prue was wrong?  
"What's that?" Piper looked up into his eyes again, hesitating for a moment.

"Oh, screw it." She whispered before wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing his head down so she could kiss him. Cole immediately returned it and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

"You have no idea what you're getting into." He said when he finally pulled back, still supporting her. She smiled, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Neither do you."

* * *

"I was so worried about you." Leo said, wrapping one arm around Prue's shoulders.

"I know." She said. "I could feel it, remember?" She smiled, leaning against him. "Something good came from this."

"Yeah, you restored a man's faith and vanquished an unstoppable demon."

"That's not what I meant. I didn't just feel worry from you. I felt…I think I felt your heart. The way you felt about me. It was…" She shook her head, smiling wider. He smiled as well and leaned down to kiss her.

* * *

"I'm glad you're not leaving." Piper said, resting her head on Cole's chest. She knew that he was hiding something from her, something big, but Prue was right after all. She loved him, and she wasn't willing to give that up yet. Besides, whatever secret he was hiding couldn't be as big as what she was.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Piper hesitated for just a moment and then she lifted up and kissed him, almost desperately. She pulled back when she heard her sisters yelling for her.

"Piper…"

"Don't worry." She said softly, putting a hand on his cheek. "I wont let anything happen to you." He looked towards the entrance of the mausoleum uncertainly.

"Trust me." Piper said, forcing him to meet her gaze. After a moment, he nodded and she turned to face her sisters, standing in front of Cole and still gripping his forearms.

"Piper!" Prue and Phoebe both ran in and stopped short when they saw Piper and Cole, the both of them holding vanquishing potions.

"Don't!" Piper yelled, holding up one hand and stepping back further so that she could feel Cole's chest against her back. "You throw that potion and it'll kill us both!"

"Let her go." Prue said, glaring at Cole. Piper just squeezed Cole's arm, hoping that he wouldn't shimmer out.

"He's not holding me here." She said calmly, although she was terrified of what her sisters would do, of them not believing her and killing Cole. "He saved my life today." She started.

"Piper, look. I know that you cared about him-"

"I don't just care about him!" Piper said angrily. "Prue, you felt it when you were an empath. You know that I love him, that he loves me."

"Yeah, well, I was wrong, obviously. Demons don't love, Piper."

"But humans do." Cole spoke up for the first time. "And I am half human." Prue and Phoebe both stared at him. If anything, Prue looked even angrier when she met Piper's gaze again.

"Piper, you can't believe this. He's evil. He's tried to kill us several times now. Whatever lie he's feeding you…"

"It's not a lie!" Piper said firmly. "I've seen it, I've felt it. I know what he's done in the past, but the important part is he couldn't do it in the end. How many times could he have killed us and didn't? I went to his apartment when we lost our powers. I was alone with him and defenseless and he didn't _do_ anything. He loves me." Piper gripped Cole's arm as she watched her sisters, at the disbelief still in their eyes.

"What if I could prove it to you?" She asked, somewhat desperately now.

"How?" Phoebe spoke up for the first time. She had mostly been watching the argument unfold. She found herself wanting to believe Piper, because of the simple fact that she could see how much Piper truly did love Cole. She couldn't see how Cole could love her the same, though.

"Uh…" Piper though, still terrified that Prue would simply ignore anything she said and vanquish Cole on the spot. She turned to Cole when an idea hit her. "Can I…?" Cole frowned.

"Whatever you're thinking, if it will keep me here, go ahead." She smiled at him before turning back to her sisters. She took a moment to think of the right words. She didn't know if it was the desperation or the need to simply have Cole in her life, but they came to her in just a minute.

__

"Open my sister's hearts to reveal

That which only Cole feels

Show his heart to these two

So that they may know what's true."

As soon as she said the last word, red lights emerged from Cole chest and split off, hitting both Prue and Phoebe in their chests. Piper watched apprehensively. She didn't know where she got the inspiration for that spell, but she was glad for it. If this didn't work, she didn't know what she'd do.

It felt like the emotion slammed into her. Prue gasped and held a hand to her chest, almost falling to her knees. Pain. There was so much pain and guilt, enough that she wondered a moment if she had gotten the empath power back.

He was struggling, she could feel it. Struggling with what he had done, struggling with what he had almost done to Piper. She could feel the demon half of him, but it was faint, barely there, suppressed.

There was something else, too. Something that overrode the pain, and guilt. Love. Pure, simply love. Prue felt like she might cry at the power of it. She had felt something of that when she was an empath, but this was stronger, so much stronger.

Piper watched her sisters warily, unwilling to let go of Cole in case this didn't work and they decided to vanquish him anyway. She wouldn't let that happen. He'd have to leave if it came to that. She'd rather not be with him than know that he was dead. Cole wrapped his arms around her from behind as Prue and Phoebe both finally straightened up and looked at them.

"Do you believe me now?" Piper asked. Prue nodded mutely and looked at Cole.

"Yeah, I believe you."

* * *

"So, wait! You just let him go."

"No, actually I think he's in Piper's room. They've got a lot to talk about, you know." Leo stared at her like she was crazy.

"Prue, how could you condone this?" Prue stopped in the kitchen, turning to him.

"He loves her, Leo. I felt it when Piper cast that spell. He's suppressing his demon half for her."

"And you trust him?" Prue shook her head.

"Not completely, no. But…if Piper even feels half for him what he does for her, I can't be the one to rip them apart. I wont hurt her like that." Stepping closer, she hugged him, resting her chin on his chest.

"I know what it's like. When the elders took you away, I almost gave up. I know it's crazy, but they love each other, and I won't…I can't be the one to take that away from them. I think we should give him a chance."

"I just don't want to see you guys hurt." Leo said, wrapping his arms around her. Prue smiled.

"Don't worry; we can take care of ourselves. Besides, if he does hurt my sister, I can still vanquish his ass."

* * *

"You're not leaving." Piper said stubbornly, crossing her arms and staring at Cole. "I didn't go through all that to convince my sisters so you could just shimmer away."

"Piper…" Cole put his hands on her shoulders. "I don't think you understand. The Source will be sending people to find me. I betrayed him, killed the triad. He'll send demons to kill me. I'd be putting you in danger."

"Cole, the Source has been trying to kill us for a while now. We've got demons coming into the manor every day. I don't think a few more is going to make much of a difference."

"I love you." She said, smiling up at him. "If I have to fight off a few more demons for you to stay, that's what I'll do. I don't want to lose you, Cole. Just stay. Stay with me." Cole was silent for a moment before he pulled her to his chest. Piper smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. She knew that he would stay.


	3. Paige and Piper's New Power

So, I am officially going in a different direction than the show did besides the couples. This is just a different version of the last half of season three.

* * *

"Hey." Phoebe bounced into the kitchen, smiling at Prue. "Piper gone?"

"Yeah. Hey, I thought you were meeting friends at the club?" Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Prue. I'll be out of here in a few minutes. So, do we know where Piper is?" Prue shrugged.

"I don't know. Cole shimmered them away a couple hours ago." Phoebe shook her head.

"I still can't believe Piper's dating a demon. After all her talk of wanting a normal relationship…" Prue smiled a little.

"I can't believe it's actually working out the way it is. I mean, I know what I felt when Piper cast that spell, but still he is a demon."

"Yeah, but it's been over two weeks since then and they're actually going good." She walked over, smiling at Prue, who was still frowning worriedly.

"They'll be fine, hopefully. Besides, you should know a thing or two about forbidden romance."

"Oh, speaking of," Prue walked into the other room and brought a shopping bag with her. She pulled out a small black dress. "What do you think?"

"Very hot." Prue smirked.

"Thanks. Now, tonight…"

"I'll be gone till late, don't worry. Got a double date with a friend."

"Really? What's he like?" Phoebe sighed.

"Don't really know, actually." She smiled and grabbed her coat from the chair. "I'll see later."

* * *

"Hey." Phoebe walked over to her usual table in P3, sitting across from a girl just a bit younger than she was with dark hair.

"Hey." The other woman said, smiling at her. Phoebe looked around.

"So, where are these hot guys that you were talking about earlier?" The girl huffed in annoyance.

"Well, I found Jake kissing some other girl earlier when I went to see him at his work, so I don't think they'll be showing up."

"I'm sorry, Paige." Phoebe said, reaching over to hug the girl briefly. Paige shook her head.

"No, it's okay. It's not like we'd been dating that long, anyways."

"Well, maybe we should go find someone else." Phoebe suggested, eyeing the dance floor before dragging Paige by the arm towards it. Paige grinned at her and followed.

* * *

"So," Prue wrapped her arms around Leo's neck. "Piper's gone somewhere across the world with Cole, and Phoebe's out with friends. Which means…" Leo smiled.

"We're all alone." He finished leaning in for a kiss. Just as it was starting to heat up, however, they heard a loud voice out in the hall.

"No!" Piper yelled. "Stay away from me!" Prue pulled back and rested her head against Leo's chest with a groan.

"I don't care, Cole!" They heard Piper yell a second later. "It's too dangerous." Leo and Prue exchanged a glance and started towards the hall. They ran in when they heard something explode and the unmistakable sound of glass breaking.

"What's going on?" Prue asked worriedly, staring at them both. Cole was standing with his back to the front door, which had a hole in it now. Piper was facing him, her eyes wide.

"I thought you guys were in some restaurant in France or London or wherever…" Leo said.

"We were." Cole shrugged. "That is until Piper blew up the place." Piper glared at him.

"I did not blow up the restaurant." She looked over at Prue and Leo. "Okay, maybe part of it."

"What? How?" Prue asked, looking from one to the other.

"With my hands!" She cried, her voice edging on panicked and she started to wave them. Cole stepped forward and put his hands on her forearms.

"Maybe you shouldn't be doing that until you figure out what's going on and how to control it?" He suggested.

"Fine." She turned to Leo. "Could you please go up and ask them what the hell is wrong with my powers?" Leo nodded, orbing out. Piper broke away from Cole. She walked over to the stairs, and sat down, keeping her hands firmly in her lap.

"Piper…"

"No!" Piper, without thinking, stood up and automatically lifted her hands. "Stay away from me…" She started to say but the plant by Cole blew up. Her eyes widened.

"Oh, okay." Prue came over and held Piper's arms down.

"This is just great!" Leo orbed back in a few seconds later and Piper turned her gaze on him.

"Did you find out what's wrong with my powers?"

"Nothing, actually. They're advancing. Turns out your powers work by slowing down molecules, and apparently now you can speed them up as well. You just need to learn how to control it."

"And in the meantime…I need to what? Keep my hands behind my back so I don't blow up my sisters or my boyfriend?"

"Well, you know that Phoebe and I are immune to your freezing power, right? It stands to reason that we'd be immune to this as well. And Leo's already dead…"

"You willing to risk that? You don't know if you're immune and last time I checked, Cole isn't immune to my powers."

"I'll take the risk." Cole spoke up, coming over to her.

"I'm going to my room." Piper said, sprinting up the stairs.

* * *

"Piper?" Cole called, knocking on her door a little while later. Piper stared down at her bed. She had thrown her pillows up in the air, trying to freeze them and now her bed was covered in feathers.

"Go away!" Piper called back when Cole knocked on the door.

"Piper, unlock the door."

"No!"

"Okay!" He called. "I guess I don't have a choice." A second later, Piper jumped, and blew up her lamp when Cole shimmered in a few feet away from her.

"Cole!" She lowered her hands again. "You shouldn't be in here."

"Where else would I be?" He asked, shrugging. "Can't go where I used to seeing as how everyone one I've ever been in contact with my whole life probably wants to kill me right now. Your sisters and Leo don't much like me yet. Sorry, honey, you're all I've got."

"Gee, thanks."

"Yes, well, I also happen to love you. And I can't see having a relationship through your door." Piper sat down on her bed with a sigh.

"It's just…frustrating and a little scary. I mean my hands are lethal weapons, and I can't control it."

"You just need to give it some time. You said yourself that it took a while to get your freezing power under control."

"That's a little different. I mean, I'm not likely to freeze you to death."

"Well, I know my own strengths. I doubt you'd kill me anyways." Piper glared at him.

"Not helping." He grinned at her, putting an arm around her shoulders and dragging both down on the bed.

"You'll figure it out." He said, turning on his side and brushing her hair off her face.

"You're so sure?" He smiled and kissed her lightly.

"Of course."

"And until then…?" Cole smiled wider and put a hand on her waist. He rolled so that she was lying on top of him.

"Until then, we'll just have to find ways to keep those hands occupied." Piper couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her before he was kissing her again.

* * *

"What happened?" Phoebe asked worriedly when she got back to the manor and found Leo repairing the door. "Demons."

"No, Piper." Prue said. Phoebe followed her into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?"

"Piper blew up the door. With her hands, actually." Phoebe's mouth dropped open.

"You're kidding. New power?" Prue nodded.

"Yep. It's got her a little freaked. She locked herself in her room." Phoebe frowned and turned towards the stairs.

"Maybe we should go talk to her."

"Actually, I think Cole's got it."

"Oh." Phoebe sat down at the counter.

"So, how was your date?" Prue asked, handing her a bottle of water.

"It wasn't actually. There was a little problem with the guys so Paige and I just hung out for a couple of hours."

"Paige? She's the girl that you met in P3 a week ago, isn't she?" Phoebe nodded. "You guys becoming good friends?"

"Yeah," Phoebe frowned. "It's weird. I mean, I could have sworn that I had met her somewhere before." Prue shrugged.

"Well, if she comes into P3 all the time, you probably did at least see her there."

"Maybe," Phoebe said, shrugging as well. She grinned at Prue. "How was your date?"

"About like yours. Cole and Piper shimmered in before we could get started after she blew up part of the restaurant they were at."

"Windows fixed." Leo said, walking in the room and wrapping an arm around Prue. Phoebe looked from one to the other.

"I think I'll just…go to bed." She said with a grin. Prue turned in Leo's arms.

"You know, we never did get to finish our date." She said. He grinned, kissing her as they orbed out up to her room.


	4. Inseparable

Okay, so I did put part of Blinded By the Whitelighter in this chapter. I know I said that I wasn't rewriting anymore episodes, but this was such an important one that I couldn't help but to want to put in some of it. Not the whole thing, just the parts that would have been changed for this different storyline.

* * *

"What was that?" Phoebe asked when she came into the kitchen and heard an explosion coming from the basement.

"Piper." Prue answered, handing her a cup of coffee. "Cole's helping her with her new power."

"Wow, you know, it's been a month since she didn't vanquish Cole and I haven't seen Piper since."

"Yeah, they've been a little inseparable. But, come on, they're in love."

"I am glad she's happy."

"Yeah, you know I never thought I'd say that a demon could be good for her. But-" She cut off when she heard Piper give a cry. They exchanged a look and rushed over to the attic door. When they opened it and rushed down the stairs, though, they found Piper in Cole's arms. She pulled away from him when she heard them.

"Uh, sorry." Phoebe said. "We heard you yell."

"Oh, yeah." Piper grinned. "I was just celebrating." She grinned a little sheepishly and rested her head on Cole's chest, causing both her sisters to sigh and leave the room.

* * *

"Hey." Piper said brightly as she came into the kitchen.

"Hey." Prue looked up from her photos. Piper picked up her purse as Phoebe came in.

"What's going on?"

"I've got to go set up the club."

"Oh, yeah." Phoebe said. "Paige and I will probably stop by later."

"So, do we get to meet…?" She trailed off, distracted when Cole shimmered into the kitchen. "Hi," her smile widened. Prue and Phoebe met each others gaze and then simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Got a minute?" Cole asked, his gaze staying on Piper.

"Sure." She said, walking out of the room with him.

"Can't even go a few hours, can they?" Prue asked, shaking her head. Phoebe snorted.

"Oh, come on. Like you and Leo weren't the same way after you guys started dating again."

"Yeah, okay, but come on, for a while I thought I'd never see him again."

"True, but now you guys are getting married." Prue shook her head.

"Not yet. The elders still haven't said anything on that, remember?"

"Yeah, but they will," Phoebe said confidently, putting one arm around her sisters shoulder. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, I gotta go meet Paige. See you later."

* * *

"Yeah, but we sure are racking up the exes." Paige said, making her way over to the bar where Piper was with Phoebe.

"I don't really think they count as exes if it's only one date." Phoebe said.

"What about your sisters?" Phoebe snorted.

"Are you kidding me? Prue and Piper are both practically married." She and Paige stopped in front of Piper. "Hey."

"Hey." Piper smiled at them both.

"What did I tell you? Insanely perky." She whispered loudly to Paige. Piper glared at her sister. "Now that's a normal one." Phoebe said, simply grinning and sitting down. "Oh, Piper, this is Paige." Piper turned her gaze on Paige.

"Nice to meet you." She said, and frowned when she shook Paige's hand.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's just…" Piper shook her head. "Never mind."

"Okay." Piper's frown did disappear after a moment, though. "You know what, I'll be right back." Paige said, getting up. Phoebe turned to Piper when she had left.

"Okay, what was that?"

"What was what?" Piper asked, making a drink order that someone called for.

"The way you acted when you met Paige, that's what." Piper shrugged.

"It's nothing, Phoebe. It's was…"

"Like you'd met her before?" Phoebe finished. Piper's frown came back at that.

"Maybe you should make sure your new friend isn't a demon or something." Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Why? Worried she was sent here like Cole was? No, she's not a demon, trust me. Speaking of Cole, I guess you guys are doing okay." Piper smiled, and she looked away for a second.

"We're great." She said. Phoebe shook her head, waving a hand in front of her sister. She laughed when Piper swatted her hand away. "I'm glad you're happy. Although, it's been a month and I still can't believe it's with a demon. Guess it's true. You really are a demon magnet."

"Maybe. But Cole's the good one." Phoebe nodded. She had had her doubts about Cole, the same as Prue, even after the spell that Piper had cast after they found out he was a demon, but he had done nothing but help over the past month. In fact he might have saved their lives on more than one occasion.

* * *

"Hey, you alright? I thought you and Cole were going out?" Prue asked when Piper came into the kitchen the next day.

"We did go out. Unfortunately, demons attacked. They were there for him. Now, he's off dodging bounty hunters."

"And you're worried." Prue finished. "Honey, I think Cole can take care of himself."

"I know that." Piper said, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't stop me from worrying about him, though."

"No, I didn't expect it to." Piper waved a hand.

"Okay, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's only making me worry more. How are you and Leo?" Prue smiled, her expression much like the one that Piper had worn when Phoebe had asked that question.

"We're great."

"Good." Piper smiled as they went into the other room and sat down on the couch. Phoebe walked into the house a moment later and stopped short.

"What's this? Are you both actually home, and alone this time?" She grinned when they both rolled their eyes and plopped down on the couch next to them.

"Sorry." Piper said finally. "I know I haven't been…around lately."

"No, that's okay, honey." Phoebe said, grinning. "If I had a hot demon boyfriend I'd probably want to spend all my time with him too."

"Yeah, well, don't get any ideas," Prue said. "I doubt any more are going to turn out like Cole." Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Well, we're all here now. You guys want to do something?"

* * *

"I'm just worried. He should have been back by now." Piper said a few hours later when they got back home. She and her sisters entered the attic.

"Piper, I'm sure he's fine." Prue said.

"Right. It's just, he's disappeared for a while before, but not without letting me know he's alright somehow."

"He'll be okay." Phoebe said, and then smiled when Cole shimmered in a few seconds later.

"Cole!" Piper rushed over and threw her arms around him. "You're bleeding." She said when she pulled back. He was a little battered.

"Had a few close calls. I'm alright, though."

"Guess all girls night is over." Phoebe whispered to Prue, smiling slightly as Piper hugged Cole again.

* * *

"I can't believe this." Piper said, as she came into the kitchen, frowning in disgust at the potion that Prue and Phoebe were making.

"You'll be fine. Just don't blurt out that you and Cole are still sleeping together…" Piper glared at her.

"This is serous, you know. Why would they be investigating him? Unless they know he got the job in a less than legal way?"

"Where is Cole?" Phoebe asked.

"Laying low somewhere. I don't know. He had another run in with some bounty hunters, and I can't say that it's a good idea for him to be around with the police investigating his disappearance from the human world."

"You didn't tell him about it, did you?" Prue asked a reprimand in her voice.

"No, and I don't plan on it yet." When Prue only crossed her arms, Piper sighed. "Oh, come on, Prue. You know how he is. He'll want to deal with this himself."

"He loves you, wants to protect you."

"Yeah, and I'd love to see how that plays out. He goes to this Reece guy, who may know that he's not really an ADA, and never was, then what? There's an even bigger file on Cole and he could get arrested on the spot and then he'd have to break out of jail and then there'd be an even bigger file. And who knows, the Source could send his bounty hunters down there-"

"Okay, okay!" Prue held up her hands. "I got it."

* * *

"Who are you?" Piper asked when she came home from meeting with Reece, staring at the unfamiliar woman.

"She's a whitelighter. A work buddy of Leo's." Prue said, sounding irritated.

"And you must be Piper." Natalie said. Her eyes narrowed. "The one dating a demon."

"Half demon." Piper said, glaring at her before turning to Prue. "Why is she here?"

"I'm here to help you vanquish a warlock. It is what you are supposed to do, after all. Vanquish warlocks _and _demons."

"So, what? I'm supposed to vanquish Cole because he can shimmer and use energy balls?"

"How about the fact that he has tried to kill you, several times, I've heard."

"That was in the past, and he could never go through with it…oh, you know what? Why am I even arguing with you? What have we got?" She turned back to Prue, now ignoring the woman.

"I think I've found something." Prue said when the crystal dropped.

* * *

"The elders want to know if I think you're relationship with Prue is getting in the way of your job." Leo stared at her.

"They are the charmed ones. They've taken out a lot of demons in the last couple of years, a lot of demons that no one else could. They are good at their job."

"They're also sloppy, untrained, emotional...you are dating one of them, and one of the others is dating a demon."

"A demon that has saved their lives on several occasions."

"And also tried to kill them on several. But even discounting the relationship between Piper and her demon, the question still remains whether or not you can maintain a relationship with Prue and do your job."

* * *

"Wait!" Piper waved her hands, freezing Natalie. "The elders did this?" Leo sighed.

"They think its best that Natalie takes over as your whitelighter for now."

"What?" Prue stared at her boyfriend. "Why would they do that?" But Piper sat down heavily.

"This is my fault, isn't it?"

"No, Piper." Leo said. "Its not-"

"It is." Piper cut in. She looked over at Prue. "This isn't about your relationship getting in the way of Leo's job. This is about Cole. This is about me letting a demon into this family." She turned her gaze back to Leo. "Isn't it?"

"I'll admit, they weren't exactly happy about it up there, but that's not all there is to it. They are worried that we won't be able to focus properly while we're dating." He said, looking over at Prue.

"I'm sorry. They want me to join in the lockdown. You have to do what she says. It's important. For us."

* * *

"Wait, so they assigned you a new whitelighter?" Cole asked incredulously later that night when he finally found the opportunity to make it back to the manor.

"Yeah. Look, I think it'd be best if you don't stay here right now, Cole. This woman has the power to make sure that Prue and Leo never get married and she's already giving me dirty looks."

"Because of me." She smiled slightly at him.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to kick you out of my room for good. Hopefully she won't be around for long."

"Alright." Cole said, sitting next to her on the bed. He kissed her briefly before shimmering out. Piper sighed and got up, meeting Prue in the hall.

"Cole's gone." She reported. "He agreed to stay away until this is over."

"Piper, you didn't have to do that-"

"Yes I did." She cut Prue off, with a small smile. "I love him but I couldn't live with myself if I was the reason that you and Leo couldn't get married, and you know him being around would only piss her off more." Prue leaned forward and hugged her.

"Thank you." She said softly. "You know this isn't fair."

"I know, but hopefully it won't be for long."

* * *

"So, everything worked out alright?" Cole asked, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Piper.

"We're not sure yet." Prue said, looking a little worried. "Leo's still up there."

"You don't think they'll actually hold you're trip up there against him, do you?"

"I don't know." Prue answered. "You never can tell with them."

"We were going to go to P3 to wait. You want to come?" Cole hesitated for a second.

"I don't know." Prue and Phoebe exchanged a glance, knowing what he was probably thinking.

"Come on. You're a part of the family now. You can wait and be worried with us." Phoebe said. Cole looked over at them, surprised and then he smiled slowly.

"Sure, alright." He shrugged. Piper stood, and grabbed his hand, giving her sisters a grateful look as she passed them.

* * *

"Hey, what took so long, what happened?" Prue asked when she spotted Leo coming over to them at P3. They had won, but had broken some major rules while doing it.

"Well, obviously, they found out that you've been up there, so they decided to review the facts of the Natalie's situation. And they unanimously decided to lift probation."

"What?" Prue asked, surprised. Leo grinned and wrapped his arms around her.

"It means we're officially engaged." Prue was shocked for a moment before she was hugging him back. She kissed him, smiling widely.


	5. Always

Okay, so I've been thinking about it, and there are several more episodes in the third season that I guess I need to include in this. I didn't want to rewrite Bride and Gloom, so I sort of created my own episode here to replace that one. Some things are the same, some not.

* * *

"Hey." Prue said, looking up when Cole shimmered into the kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Thanks." He said, taking the cup from her.

"Piper's at the club." He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm only stopping in." Prue frowned.

"Where do you go all day when you're not here? It's not the underworld is it?"

"Careful, Prue. You almost sound worried." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious." Cole raised an eyebrow.

"You're always serious." She crossed her arms and glared at him, and he sighed. "There are a lot of places I can shimmer to, not all of them in this plane. It also keeps the bounty hunters confused if I'm not here all the time."

"So, you just spend all day dodging bounty hunters?" He shrugged.

"Sometimes. Sometimes not. I can't just sit here, it would drive me insane, and it's not like I can get a job in the mortal world."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Hey." Phoebe said as she walked in, going over to the cabinets to get a cup. Cole set his down, about to leave.

"Oh, Cole." Phoebe called before he could shimmer out. "Piper tell you we're having a dinner tonight to celebrate Prue's engagement?" She grinned at her sister. "You are coming right?"

"Uh, sure, I guess." He shrugged again and shimmered out.

* * *

"Hey." Cole wrapped his arms around Piper from behind and she grinned.

"Hey. You're here. Staying for dinner?"

"I guess I have to now, since your sisters invited me too." Piper turned in his arms, looking up at him.

"My sisters invited you?" He nodded, and she smiled. "Don't look so surprised. You've been living here for two months. You are a part of the family now, and they see that too."

"Yeah…it's just strange." He said with a small frown.

"Yeah, well. You'd better get used to it, because I'm not letting you go." He smiled, kissing her.

* * *

"We can set it up here." Phoebe said, grinning. When she turned, though, she let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on guys. Work with me here." Piper and Cole were sitting on the stairs, close to each other and talking.

"Alright." She clapped her hands, walking over to them when Cole leaned in to kiss Piper. "Break it up."

"Sorry." Cole cleared his throat, wrapping an arm around Piper's shoulders. "What were you saying?"

"Oh, never mind. Prue and Leo are probably waiting for us at the club anyways."

"Right." Piper stood up, and wrapped an arm around Cole's waist. She giggled at something that Cole said in her ear. Actually giggled.

"You guys are killin' me here." Phoebe muttered, though she doubted that either of them heard her.

* * *

"It's funny," Phoebe said later, smiling at Prue and Leo, who were out on the dance floor before turning back to Piper. "I know Prue's the oldest but I always thought you'd be the first to get married."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, frowning at her.

"Oh, please. You were always the one dreaming about it. You were the one who was looking for the long haul in every guy. You were the one who kept Mom's wedding album." Piper shrugged.

"Well, you don't have to have to get married to have that."

"Yeah, but it's something that you've always wanted." She pressed.

"Shouldn't we be talking about Prue's wedding and what we need to do?" Piper asked.

"Sure." Phoebe dropped it. She knew that Piper was worried too. Cole had shimmered out before they had even gotten out of the manor after a bounty hunter attacked.

"Hey." Piper's surprised voice broke her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Cole walking over.

"I thought you said you'd be gone for a while longer; lead them away from the manor." Phoebe frowned at him. He shrugged.

"I think we're fine. They were pretty easy to lose." He turned to Piper. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." She frowned as well, but stood up, following him back to her office in the back. He spun her around as soon as they were alone and dipped down for a kiss. Piper frowned into it and broke away almost immediately. Raising her hands, she used her powers, blasting him into the opposite wall.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice turning deadly.

"What the hell is your problem?" He stood up. Piper backed up another step and raised her hands in warning.

"Nice try." She said. "You really think I recognize the fact that you aren't him?" He laughed, and changed form. A shorter man with darker hair stood before her.

"That's funny." He said. "_He _noticed it too." Piper faltered, stopping herself from using her new power again.

"What?" He smiled at her, and stepped closer.

"You know, when he came back to the manor looking for you. Had a little surprise waiting." Piper's heart sped up and she stepped back again, preparing to get out, to get to her sisters.

"What did you do to him?"

"Oh, he's alive. For now, at least. He'll stay that way if you come with me." Piper hesitated, torn between an overwhelming fear for Cole's life and the uncertainty that he was telling the truth, and that even if he was, she should still get her sisters, she shouldn't do it this way.

"You won't be able to kill him." She said, trying to make her voice sound more confident than she felt. He shrugged.

"I don't have to. You don't come with me…all I have to do is hand him over to the Source." He reached out a hand to her. Piper hesitated another moment before taking his hand.

* * *

"Where is Piper?" Prue sat down next to Phoebe, who shrugged.

"She and Cole went back that way." She gestured towards the office.

"Okay, can you go get her? We need to discuss a few things about the wedding you know?"

"Do I have to?" Phoebe looked back towards where they had disappeared to with a grimace. "Who knows what they're doing back there." Prue shrugged and Phoebe sighed. "Fine." She walked back there, but didn't simply go inside.

"Hey, guys? I'm coming in!" She called. "You better break up whatever you're doing!" Frowning when she didn't get a response, she opened the door.

"What's up?" Prue asked when Phoebe walked back over, still frowning.

"They're not back there."

"Maybe Cole shimmered them back to the manor." Leo suggested, making Prue roll her eyes.

"Which means they'll be…indisposed for a while."

"Maybe." Phoebe said, still frowning, unable to shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

When Piper and the warlock reappeared, they were in a place that she didn't recognize. There was an altar of sorts a few feet away, but they were the only ones in the room.

"Where is he?" The warlock laughed at her.

"Do you really think that I caught Belthazor when the Source couldn't even do it?" He asked. Piper stepped away from him, about to blow him up, or at least try when something smashed into her head from behind, and she fell to the ground.

* * *

"I'm tellin' you, something doesn't feel right." Prue turned to her.

"Well, Cole would never hurt her, we know that. So, until we find proof, I don't think we should panic." They both jumped when Cole shimmered in beside them.

"How's that for proof?" They both turned to Cole.

"You didn't drop by P3 to talk to Piper earlier tonight by any chance did you?" Prue asked him. Cole frowned, shaking his head.

"And lead the bounty hunters to Piper's club? I'm not suicidal, Prue." She didn't smile at the joke, too worried all of the sudden.

"This is bad." Phoebe said, Prue nodded.

* * *

"You're sure that they will find us?" He asked, staring at Veda.

"Oh, they will. This place is blocked from good magic. Their whitelighter will not be able to sense her, but Belthazor will be able to find it."

"How can you be sure he'll come alone? We can't fight all of them." Veda smiled.

"He'll want to change her back, won't he? This ritual will ensure that they won't be to cooperative. With the charmed ones evil, the book will be easily taken, and Belthazor will pay."

* * *

"The elders don't know anything." Leo said, walking over to Prue. She was flipping through the book, frowning. "Hopefully, Cole can find something. Thought you said there was nothing in the book." He came over to sit next to her.

"There wasn't. But now there's a whole lot of weirdness. Check it out." Leo frowned, looking at the spell she had turned to.

"Hemlock killing spell? That doesn't belong in here."

"But it does have possibilities."

"Prue..." She shook her head.

"Sorry, I just..." She disappeared off the couch. Leo sat, shocked, for a moment. He was about to go find her when Cole shimmered into the room.

"Where are the girls?" He asked. "I found out-"

"We have bigger problems." Leo cut him off. Cole followed him into the kitchen where Prue was waiting.

"You blinked." He told his fiancé.

"What?" Cole asked, looking from Prue to Leo.

"I did not." Prue said. "Only warlocks do that."

"You did." He argued as Phoebe came into the room.

"What's going on?"

"Your sisters blinking." Cole rubbed a hand on his forehead, his worry for Piper growing by the minute as he listened the Prue, Phoebe and Leo. He grabbed Leo's arm when the girls blinked out of the room.

"You're not going to get through to them like this. We need to find Piper."

"Well, unfortunately, I can't sense her and the elders can't find her either."

"But I can." Cole said, stepping closer to Leo and watching the door warily. "It's what I came to warn you about. There's a warlock after them. She has the power to turn Piper evil, Prue and Phoebe along with her."

"Obviously it's working." Cole nodded.

"She'll be after the Book of Shadows. Warn the girls. Even in their new...state, we don't need Veda getting her hands on the book."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Piper. Vanquishing Veda is the only thing that will turn them back to themselves."

* * *

Cole knew that she would be waiting for him. He knew Veda, had worked with her once, and he knew how much she hated him. Guilt ate at him because he knew that the reason she had taken Piper was because of him. He had ruined one of her plans because it interfered with his, in the process making her look bad in front of their superiors. She had been knocked down in the chain of command drastically because of him.

Not willing to wait any longer, Cole shimmered into the place, staying towards the door for now. He saw Piper, lying on the altar.

"Like the new look?" A voice said from his right. He turned.

"I'm going to kill you." He said, glaring at Veda. She smiled.

"I don't think so. You really think I'd be working alone?" Cole shrugged, shimmering out when another warlock attacked from his left. He summoned an energy ball, sending it at the warlock as soon as he reappeared.

"Did you really think it would be that easy to kill me?"

"No, I didn't." Several other warlocks blinked in. Cole backed up a little, preparing another energy ball. He managed to vanquish one of them before they attacked. One of the others knocked him off his feet and Cole sent him flying. That was when he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked up at Veda, and she grinned before yanking the athame out of his side.

Cole shoved her away, getting to his feet, but swaying a little as he did so. Veda nodded to the other warlocks, who blinked out of the room. Watching Veda warily, Cole put a hand to his wound. It wasn't too deep, not life threatening. But his vision did waver and his knees buckled. A few seconds later, he found himself on his back on the ground, staring up at Veda. He tried to shimmer, or form an energy ball, but couldn't.

"Poison." Veda said, holding up the athame. "I made it especially for you. It'll eat away at your human half until it destroys you. It's a slow death, and a painful one." She smiled when he glared at her, and crouched down next to him. "Be happy, Belthazor. Your witch will live on, in the position that was meant for you, of course. In the service of evil."

* * *

"But Leo's power was blocked. He couldn't find her." Prue reminded Phoebe.

"That's because he was good, and we're evil." Prue nodded.

* * *

Veda blinked back into her sanctuary, clutching her wrist. She glared over at Piper and then Cole, who was barely conscious. Angrily, she walked over and kicked him in the side where she had stabbed him. He groaned and looked up at her. When he saw the state she was in, he smiled through the pain.

"They're going to vanquish you." She glared at him, kicking him again.

"I still have their sister. They'll lose. And even if they win, you'll still die." She walked over with the Book of Shadows and looked for a spell that would keep her alive.

* * *

"Wow." Phoebe said as she and Prue both blinked into the room. She could see Piper lying before the warlock that they had caught earlier. They started forward as the warlock chanted a spell from the book.

"You're too late." She said, closing the book and looking at Piper, who got up off the table. "Kill them."

"Piper..." Phoebe was thrown into the far wall, followed by Prue. They scrambled up. An athame appeared in Piper's hand, and she was standing in the way of Veda. They were trying to find a way to get around her when Piper was barreled into from the side by Cole and the athame went flying.

Using her power, Prue sent it flying from the ground and it buried itself in Veda's heart. She screamed as she was vanquished and Prue and Phoebe both wavered.

"What the hell?" Phoebe said.

"I think we're back." Prue said. Piper had stopped fighting Cole, and she turned him over on his back. Her eyes widened when she saw his wound and realized that he was barely breathing now.

"Cole?" She looked up at her sisters, desperation in her eyes.

"Oh, god." A realization hit Prue hard. She had been about to call Leo when she realized that he wouldn't hear her. That they had...

"Can you get Leo?" Piper asked. "Maybe he could-" Prue shook her head, tears falling now.

"We killed him." Phoebe said. Piper looked from one to the other before turning back to Cole. Phoebe wrapped an arm around Prue. How could one day go so wrong? They had killed Leo and now Cole was dying as well...Phoebe turned when she saw something out of the corner of her eyes and Leo formed not far away. Relief beyond anything she had felt previously had her smiling and she turned Prue.

"Leo." Prue raced over to him and threw her arms around him. "You're okay."

"Vanquishing Veda reversed all the evil you guys did." Leo explained.

"Prue." Piper's anguished cry reminded her of what was going on and her and Leo went to stand opposite her.

"Heal him." Prue said. Leo hesitated, kneeling down.

"I can try, but you know I can only heal his human half."

"Just try, please." Piper begged. Leo nodded, and held his hands over Cole's wound. The familiar glow appeared and the wound got smaller. To her relief and surprise, Cole jerked awake a few seconds later. Leo stopped before he got to Cole's demonic half, and smiled up at Piper.

"It worked, I think. The poison, whatever it was, it was attacking his human half." Piper gave him one grateful smile before she was hugging Cole fiercely.

* * *

"So, you worked with her?" Piper asked, lying next to Cole. He nodded, and she saw guilt flash in his eyes.

"This is what I was afraid of, Piper. Veda hated me, and she took it out on you." Piper put a hand on his cheek.

"I told you that I'd fight to have this, and what happened doesn't change that. Everything worked out alright. I'm fine."

"She could have killed you."

"But she didn't. I'm not the one who nearly died today, Cole. Going in there alone was reckless."

"Maybe so." He said, hugging her to him. "But I'd do it again if it meant keeping you safe."

"And I'll fight off a hundred warlocks to keep you here." She said right back. "Don't worry so much. We're together, that's all that matters. No one's going to change that." She smiled, resting her head on his chest."

"I love you." Cole said, kissing her hair. Piper's smile widened.

"And I love you. Always will."


	6. A Member of the Family

This chapter is just a lot of snippits of their lives with Cole. I just wanted to show him as a part of the family, it'll have importance on the next couple of chapter's. I am getting two chapters out now. I had the one after this written a while ago, but I was having trouble with this one. It's been a little while since I updated so I just decided to post them together.

* * *

"Oh, hey." Prue walked into the kitchen. "Where is everybody?" Cole stood.

"Piper went to the club. I have no idea where Phoebe is." Prue nodded and then came over to him.

"Well, I was going to ask one of them, but here," she held up her newest batch of photos that she was planning on taking to the magazine that day. "Could you tell me what you think?" She watched him as he looked through them.

"They're really good." He said with a smile. She smiled back at him. "So, I take it you like the new job?"

"Yeah, it's great...being able to do something that I really love, you know?" She walked over to grab a cup of coffee. "What about you?"

"What about me? I don't think photography is really my thing." She rolled her eyes, turning back to him.

"You know what I mean." She rested her elbows on the counter. "I know that the lawyer thing was just a cover, but did you actually like it? I mean, when you actually did the job?" He frowned a little.

"I'm not sure. I wasn't really focused on the job. Mostly I was focused on you and your sisters." Prue waved that away.

"Yeah, I know. But you're different now. You ever thought about it? Like, what you're going to do in the long run?"

"I can't exactly get a normal job, Prue. Not when I'm on the Source's hit list and a suspect in the eyes of the police."

"Yeah, I know that, but things change." Cole raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, as I'm not about to become human any time soon, I doubt that will."

* * *

"Why are you freaking out?" Cole asked, looking around the room before meeting Prue's eyes. "Everything seems fine."

"Yeah, I know." Prue hesitated. "It's just, you know, I worry. I'm sure you've noticed by now that that's what I do best. I mean, the last time I tried to get married, it didn't turn out so well."

"Yes, but that was different. You and Leo were doing it in secret, behind the elder's backs and the only reason it didn't work was because of me. Sorry about that, by the way."

"No, no. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway. Something would have happened, or the elders could have done something after we got married. I mean, us getting married wouldn't have stopped Leo from being a whitelighter. I just can't help but to worry about them interfering this time."

"They did give you the go ahead, didn't they? Besides, you never seemed the type to give up to me." Prue nodded.

"That's true. We'll get through this." She smiled. "Thanks." He frowned.

"For what?"

"Oh, you know. Letting me vent." He shrugged.

"No problem."

* * *

"We are gathered her to unite two souls as one..." Piper, Phoebe, Cole, Darryl, Patty, and Victor all smiled as they stood by Prue and Leo as they finally got married.

* * *

"Hey." Phoebe bounced down in the seat next to Paige with a smile.

"Hey, what's up?" Phoebe shrugged.

"Oh, you know. I'm just trying to give Prue and Leo a little privacy." Paige nodded.

"Right, the wedding. How did that go?"

"It went great. I've never seen Prue happier." Paige gestured towards the bar.

"Seems like both your sisters are." Phoebe glanced over. Pipe was behind the bar, working, or at least she was supposed to be. However, Cole was on the other side, and she seemed to be a little preoccupied with him.

"Yeah. I'm...happy for them. They deserve to be happy."

"Yeah, but doesn't it just make you want to find a guy like that. Hell, I don't even know your sisters, and it kinda makes me want to." Phoebe nodded.

"Yeah, sure. But, you know, we'll get there. That is, if we can find guys who won't bail on us for other women." Paige laughed and nodded.

"That's true."

* * *

"I wasn't that bad." Piper said, glaring at her sisters and settling back against Cole.

"Piper, you called me a bitch." Piper grinned at Phoebe, who rolled her eyes.

"You guys turn into the things you fight a lot?" Cole asked.

"No, just a couple of times." Prue said.

"Yes, but that was the first time." Piper pointed out. "And it freaked me the hell out."

* * *

"Coffee?" Phoebe asked, reaching around Cole to hand the cup to Prue.

"Thanks." Prue said her eyes on the paper.

"I gotta go." Phoebe said, jumping up. "I said I'd meet Paige at the gym."

"Alright, hey." Prue looked up. "Are we still going out tonight?"

"Sure. Meet you at the club later?" Prue nodded, and Piper opened the fridge.

"I've got to go to the store to pick up a few things."

"Well, I'm going to go. I'll see you later?" He asked, leaning down to kiss Piper.

"Be careful." Prue said absently.

"Always." He said before shimmering out. Piper grabbed her purse.

"I'll see you at P3?"

* * *

"So..." Piper said when Cole wrapped his arms around her. "You realize that it's been six months." She grinned. "And I'm not even counting those months when you were trying to kill me." Cole smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

"Yes, I realize." She nodded.

"We should do something, people usually do something."

"What did you want to do?" Piper opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a yell from downstairs. She and Cole exchanged a glance before he shimmered them both down to the living room. Cole pulled Piper to the side when an energy ball was sent their way by one of the demons, and then he was sprinting away from her and towards Phoebe.

"Look out!" Cole tackled Phoebe to the floor, out of the way of the energy ball that almost collided with her head. Piper stood, raising her hands and blowing the demon up. Cole sent an energy ball at the other.

"Thanks." Phoebe said as Cole helped her up. He nodded. He turned just as another demon appeared behind Piper.

"Piper!" He yelled. Piper was in the way, he couldn't send an energy ball, so he started over. Piper turned, raising her hands. She did manage to blow the demon up but not before he sent an athame at her.

Cole made it over in time to catch her when she wavered on her feet, looking down at the blade that was buried in her abdomen. Phoebe ran over as well.

"Leo!" She called. "Leo!" A second later, Leo did orb in. He didn't say anything, just took one look at Piper and ran over. He pulled the blade out of Piper, causing her to give a cry before he healed the wound.

"You alright?" Cole asked, still holding onto her. She smiled at him.

"Of course I am."

* * *

"So, what are you guys planning for tonight?" Prue asked later. Piper shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I still can't believe he's been living here for six months."

"Yeah." Prue said thoughtfully. "I know that I didn't always trust...or like Cole in the past..."

"But now?" Prue smiled at her sister.

"Now, I'm glad he's here. You know, I've never seen you happier than when you're with him, and he had become a member of the family over the past months." Piper smiled.

"Thank you." She said. "I can't imagine my life with anyone else."

* * *

It shouldn't have been such a surprise when demons interrupted the dinner that Cole had planned for them. He had definitely gone all out, somehow managing to rent out a restaurant so they could be alone. Even if it wasn't such a surprise, it still pissed Piper off.

"Son of a..." Piper blew up one of the demons in a fury when it got a lucky shot off on Cole, sending him flying across the room and into the wall. Cole vanquished the other one with an energy ball and Piper went over to him.

"You alright?" She asked, kneeling next to him.

"I'm good." He said, putting a hand on the back of his head.

"Good." She turned and looked to where the demon used to be. "You know, I kind of wish I could bring those demons back to life so I could blow them up again."

"Really?" She could see the amusement in Cole's eyes.

"Yes. Can't they leave us alone for just one night?" Cole raised an eyebrow.

"Piper, don't you say that every time they interrupt us?" She glared at him and gave a cry when he suddenly dove forward, taking them both to the floor, him on top of her. She saw the energy ball pass over his head. Cole raised up enough to send his own.

Piper stared up at him when he looked back down at her, and he leaned in the rest of the way to kiss her. She wrapped an arm around his neck. When he sat up, he kept his hold on her, and didn't break the kiss. She opened her eyes for a brief moment, just in time to see another demon appear behind Cole. She broke the kiss for a moment.

"No interrupting." She said, blowing this demon up as well. Cole shook his head, smiling at her.

"Marry me?" She froze at the words and looked back at him.

"Huh?"

* * *

"Hey, you're back early." Prue said when Piper walked into the attic. She nodded.

"Yeah, we sort of got interrupted."

"Demons? Are you guys alright?" Piper nodded.

"Yeah, we're fine." Prue frowned.

"Where is Cole?" Piper shrugged, beginning to pace a little.

"Oh, you know. He's out, trying to get them off his trail again." Prue's frown deepened as she watched her sister.

"But what good will that do? The entire underworld knows he's living here." Piper nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I sort of asked him to give me some time."

"Time for what?" Piper sighed and sat down on the couch, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Prue..." She hesitated for a moment. "What would you say if I told you that he...well, he sort of asked me to marry him." Prue's eyes widened.

"What?" She went over to her sister and sat down next to her on the couch. Piper nodded.

"Yeah."

"He asked you..." She shook her head. "What did you say?"

"I told you, I asked him for some time. I never thought he'd actually ask that question." Prue frowned again.

"Why not? I mean, he does love you? You've never thought about it?" Piper shrugged.

"Maybe." She looked out. "But I didn't think it'd come up so soon."

"Soon?" Prue asked incredulously. "Piper, you guys have been in love for almost a year. And, I know you probably don't technically count those first few months that he was still trying to kill us, but if you think about...he did fall in love with you when he was still supposed to be the bad guy. Giving up everything, giving up his heritage, that kind of love...it's powerful. He completely switched sides for you."

"So, what? Are you arguing in favor of marriage?" Prue hesitated for a moment.

"I want you to be happy, Piper, but he is still half demon." She held up a hand when Piper opened her mouth. "I'm not talking about him turning evil again or something like that. He's been living with us, fighting with us for six months. I know he's a good guy. Hell, he's apart of this family now. I'm just worried...about what you'd be getting yourself into if you go through with this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, none of the underworld is too fond of Cole, and I'm betting the elders would have something to say about this. I don't want you to go through what I went through with Leo."

"I get that. I really do, but it was worth it, wasn't it? Everything that you guys went through was worth it now that you're together, wasn't it?" She met her sister's eyes. "I love him, just as much as you love Leo."

"I know, but Piper-"

"Prue, if I would take on the Source by myself for him. I can't imagine not having him in my life, not being with him. I can't imagine ever loving anyone else, and if anything ever happened to him..." She shook her head, not finishing the thought. Prue sighed and brushed some of Piper's hair back.

"It sounds like to me that you don't really need my advice on this one." She glanced over at Cole as he shimmered in. "Just be sure." Piper looked over at him as well.

"I am." She said as Prue walked out of the room.

"Did you want me to come back later?" Cole asked.

"No." Piper stood up. "Cole-"

"I freaked you out, didn't I?" He asked, coming closer to her. "What I don't understand is why. I know. I'm still a demon, you're still a witch, but that shouldn't matter. We've been living together for months. Even you're sisters have accepted it-"

"Cole, stop." Piper said, reaching out to put her hands on his waist.

"If you need more time, I get it, but I really do love you, Piper."

"I love you too." She said softly. "That's why my answer is yes." Cole stared at her.

"Yes?" She grinned at him.

"Don't look so surprised. You thought I was going to say no?"

"Yes?" Cole repeated, a smile coming to his face. She nodded, lifting herself up so that she could kiss him.

"Yes, I'd love to be your wife."


	7. Survival

This chapter gets a little bit into the last of season three.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're getting married to a demon." Phoebe said. Piper grinned at her, bouncing on her bed a little.

"I know. Grams is probably going to kill me when she finds out." Phoebe waved that away.

"I'm sure she'll get it. She was rooting for Prue and Leo all along, wasn't she?"

"That's true," Piper nodded. "But Leo's an angel."

"You're not having regrets about saying yes are you?" Phoebe sat down on Piper's bed next to her.

"Of course not. And Grams and the elders and anyone else who has a problem will just have to deal. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else but Cole." Phoebe smiled at her.

* * *

He looked around the place that he had been summoned, and his eyes widened. He knew who the demon before him was.

"I have an assignment for you." He frowned. This one was stronger than he was, could kill him if he wanted before he could even try and shimmer out. "You want Belthazor, do you not?"

"Belthazor." He had been planning that. He was patient, unlike a lot of demons, patient, and he had wanted to make sure that he was strong enough to face Belthazor and his witches first.

"You want his standing in the underworld? Vanquish him and it is yours." He contemplated this for a moment before nodding with a smile and shimmering out.

* * *

"He won't win." The younger of the two demons said, shimmering in a few seconds later.

"No. But to defeat him Belthazor will have to take on his true demonic form. That will be our opportunity."

* * *

Emma heard the news. She saw the reports of deaths in the area. She didn't think she would find him this quick, but it looked like he was surfacing. Finally.

* * *

"Wow." Phoebe said when she saw the food that Piper had made everyone for breakfast. "Trying to kill us, Piper?" Piper rolled her eyes.

"I just thought it'd be nice if we all sat down for a real breakfast, you know. Everyone." She said with a smile.

"I'm not complaining." Cole spoke up, and Piper smiled brighter, leaning across the island to kiss him.

"Okay, hands off while we're eating." Prue said, but she was smiling at them as well.

"Hey." Leo orbed in to the kitchen.

"Hey, Leo. Breakfast?" Piper asked, and then she caught the look on his face and sighed. "Uh oh. I know that look. Demons?"

"Sorry. It's looks great." He said.

"Thank you." Piper's smile came back at the compliment. "So, what is it?" Prue gave her sister an amused glance.

"She's been a little giddy lately." She said, walking over to him.

"Well, something has been killing witches around the city lately. The elders think it's an upper level demon. Maybe you guys could go to the last crime scene, see if the demon left anything behind?"

* * *

"Did you find anything?" Piper made a face when Phoebe and Prue came through the door, covered in slime. "Looks like you guys got a juicy one."

"Not our demon, though." Prue said. Piper shook her head.

"No, Cole said that all upper level demons bleed red. He went down to the underworld to see if he could find anything else out."

* * *

"Hey, find anything?" Piper asked, standing up when Cole shimmered in.

"No, just an upper level demon trying to gain a reputation by killing witches." Piper nodded, wrapping her arms around him.

"We should definitely take a vacation after this." She said, smiling a little.

"Maybe some place private?" He suggested, tracing his fingers along her spine. She lifted up to kiss him. They broke apart, though, when Leo orbed in not far away.

"Hey." Piper said, pulling her shirt down. Leo ignored the display, to used to how Piper and Cole were now.

"Another witch has been killed."

* * *

"...It didn't matter what they looked like. Only mattered that I did what I was told." Piper watched him as he sat, holding the athame before going over to him. He hardly ever talked about his past, about the things he had done, and she knew that it was because it was hard for him.

"Cole," she sighed and sat down next to him. "I know who you were, but you're not that demon anymore." She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. "And, yes, I'm sure. You've been living at the manor for over six months. We're getting married. Do you really think I would have said yes if you were?"

"But Belthazor still lives inside of me, Piper." He stood up.

"Cole, you have done so much good since you've been here. You are a part of this family, and you've saved our lives so many times."

"Doesn't balance out. Doesn't even come close." Piper stood up as well.

"What you were...You said it to me once, remember? When you asked me to marry you. If I couldn't get past what you were to see who you are, we wouldn't have even gotten started."

"That may be, but...if the potion doesn't work. I'm warning you now, Piper. If the potion doesn't work, the only way to destroy him is for me to turn into Belthazor."

"But you'll turn back into you, right?"

"I may not be able to. To stop him I'll have to embrace my demonic self completely. There may be no coming back from that."

"Well, then we'll just have to make sure the potion works. I won't lose you."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Prue asked when she saw Piper putting on her coat.

"I'm going to go...try talk to Emma." Prue frowned.

"You really think that she'll listen to you?" Piper shrugged.

"Probably not, but at the very least, I could try and keep her out of the middle of the fight so she doesn't get hurt." Prue's frown deepened. Piper's good mood had evaporated completely.

"Something else wrong, honey?" Piper sighed.

"I just...I have a bad feeling about this." She met her sisters eyes. "I have this horrible feeling that something's going to happen to him, that I'm going to lose him." Prue pulled her into a hug.

"We won't let that happen."

* * *

"Have you ever lost anyone to evil?"

"Yes." Piper said, sighing. Emma started to walk away again when Piper spoke up. "We're getting married." She called. Emma stopped, turning to her again.

"You're marrying that demon." Piper nodded.

"I know that you hate him, that you always will, but...I love him. Completely." Emma walked closer to her.

"And if someone murdered him, the way he murdered my fiancé?" Piper met her eyes.

"I don't know if I'd survive that." She said quietly.

* * *

Piper held up the vanquishing potion that Prue had given her before she had left the manor. It would get rid of Sikes. It had to work, she couldn't lose Cole. She gave a cry when someone grabbed her from behind and she dropped the potion and her purse on the floor.

* * *

Emma opened the manor door, and stopped when she saw the purse lying there in the hall, saw the potion on the floor beside it. She picked it up, looking at the liquid. She hesitated for a moment and then heard a scream coming from upstairs.

When she got there, she saw the demon, the demon who had taken her life away, advancing on the sisters. Piper was trying to reason with him. Foolish. Emma had tried to tell her. He was a demon, not a man.

The thought that Piper truly did love him only made her hesitated for a second before she raised her arm and threw the potion.

* * *

"No!" Piper said when Prue raised her fist, about to test her vanquishing potion she'd made for Sikes on Cole. "Cole?" She and her sisters took another step back as Belthazor stepped towards them. She didn't see Emma until it was too late. Didn't see her throw the potion until the flames consumed his body. He screamed, switching back from Belthazor to Cole and back again before the flames overtook him and they blew, leaving nothing behind.

"No." Piper stood numb, staring at the spot where he had been. She was vaguely aware when she fell to her knees. She didn't react when her sisters knelt with her and put their arms around her, she just kept staring, now over Phoebe's shoulder, at the spot that he had been just a minute before.

Phoebe and Prue met each other's gaze, both of them with tears in their eyes, neither of them believing what had just happened. They both wrapped their arms around Piper, but she didn't react.

Leo orbed into the manor, a little bit worried about what was happening. When he saw the girls, he froze. Prue and Phoebe were kneeling on the floor, wrapped around Piper. Piper was staring out past her sisters, unmoving. One look at her eyes and he didn't have to ask what had happened.

* * *

Emma watched the exchange for a moment, watching Piper. She was better off without him, Emma knew that. He was a demon, demon's don't change. She was better off. Still, she didn't look in Piper's eyes before she turned and left the manor.

* * *

Phoebe and Prue both jumped when Piper finally reacted. She let out a choked sort of sob and started fighting them, trying to get away.

"Piper..." Prue tried to get a hold of her sister, but Piper broke away, scrambling away from them and to her feet, and sprinted out of the attic. Prue and Phoebe jumped to their feet, racing out of the room after them.

"Piper." Phoebe said when they saw her. She had stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She wasn't crying yet, but she did look lost.

Piper stopped numbly, looking around the manor. Her sisters were saying something but their voices were sort of fading in and out on her. The image of him disappearing in bright flames kept playing over and over in her head. She kept hearing that last pain filled scream in her head.

Her stomach rolled and she stumbled to her knees again. She wondered if she was going to be sick as she heard Cole screaming over and over again in her head. She tried to picture his voice the way it had been just a day before, tried hear his laugh. Tried to see his smile when she told him about the six month anniversary, tried to remember his kiss when she had said yes to his proposal, but all she could hear was that scream. She raised her hands, gripping the side of her head, trying to get it out of her head.

"No." She mumbled again, shaking her head, tears finally falling.

* * *

"Piper..." Prue wiped her own eyes as she knelt in front of her sister once again. She brought Piper towards her and Piper finally collapsed against her, sobbing.

* * *

Okay, so I will explain who sent Sikes after Cole a little bit earlier than he wanted to probably in the next chapter.


	8. Connected

"Are you sure about this?" Phoebe asked her sister quietly. Piper nodded. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were red and swollen.

"I'm sure. I would know. We made sure of that." Prue frowned. She was standing in front of Piper and Phoebe.

"But before..." She crossed her arms, still not totally convinced.

"I wasn't focusing on it before." Piper said quietly. "But I felt it later. I know, Prue. I know I'm right." Prue sighed and sat down.

"Okay," she ran her hand through her hair, "what do you want to do about it?" Piper met her eyes, and Prue saw the determination there.

"The only thing we can do."

* * *

"Hey, sorry I haven't been around the past few days." Phoebe said when Paige came up to the bar.

"That's okay." Paige said, frowning at her. "You're working here now?" Phoebe shrugged.

"I'm just trying to help Piper out. The club means a lot to her."

"Where is she?" Phoebe hesitated for a moment, chewing her lip before turning to Alan.

"I'll be right back, okay?" At his nod, she stepped out from behind the bar and closer to Paige.

"Look, I might not be able to hang out as much for a little bit. Something happened..."

"What?" Phoebe smiled at the real concern in Paige's eyes. She hesitated again, but Phoebe and Paige had become really good friends and she felt the need to tell her something, even if she couldn't tell her everything. She pulled Paige further away from the crowd.

"Okay, do you remember meeting Piper's fiancé, Cole?" Paige nodded.

"Yeah. Tall, dark and handsome?" Phoebe nodded and sighed as they sat down in one of the back tables.

"Yeah, well. He's...well, he died."

"Oh, my God." Paige leaned forward. "How did that happen?" Phoebe hesitated again.

"We're...we're not sure actually." She said.

"Are you guys okay?" Phoebe shook her head with a sigh.

"Piper's...broken; I guess is the only word for it." Paige nodded.

"And you and Prue?" Phoebe shook her head.

"I don't know, you know? To be honest, we really didn't much like Cole when they first started dating, but he's been practically living in the manor for six months. He's...He became family." Paige reached out a squeezed her hand.

"Well, if you guys need anything..." Phoebe smiled again.

"Thank you."

* * *

Piper lay down on her bed, staring at the wall, waiting. That's all she had been doing for the past few days. Sitting up after a few minutes, she reached over and picked up the framed picture of her and Cole that Prue had snapped from just a few weeks ago.

She stood abruptly when she heard someone coming into the room. She eyed the two men who had come into her room and opened her mouth to scream.

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" The younger of the two demons asked. "We should have vanquished him."

"No. This will work. You know the valuable information he has. And I will be able to force him away from the witch."

"How?"

"Killing her, of course."

* * *

"How is she?" Phoebe asked Prue, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, when she got home.

"She hasn't come out of her room." Prue said, her voice holding a good deal of sympathy and concern. Phoebe nodded, leaning against the wall, one foot on the bottom step across from Prue.

"Do you think we should go up there?" Prue shook her head with a sigh.

"She wants to be alone." Phoebe sighed as well and sat down on the last step. After a moment, Prue joined her.

"It's not fair, what happened." Prue said after a moment. Phoebe nodded.

"I know, he was family." Prue nodded and looked out at the room, her eyes hard.

"And nobody messes with our family." Her voice was just as hard. A moment later, they both heard a scream come from upstairs. They met each other's eyes for a second before they were both running up the stairs towards Piper's room.

* * *

He smiled, looking at Piper Halliwell, currently chained to a wall and unconscious. He glanced over to his right, to the two demons that had brought her here. One of them, the older of the two was staring at her.

"Finish this." He growled, holding out an athame. He was pretty confident of his own magic.

* * *

Piper let out a low moan as she came too, lifting her head. She tried to put her hands to her aching head and that was when she noticed that they were chained to the wall she was resting against.

She opened her eyes and stared at the three demons in front of her. She was somewhere in the underworld, she knew that. One of the three demons was very familiar.

"Cole?" She said his name quietly, disbelief in her voice, even if she was feeling it.

"Surprised?" One of the other demons asked. Piper turned a glare on him, after a moment of reasuring herself that Cole was truly alright and standing in front of her.

"What did you do?" She growled at the demon.

"Just a little trick."

"I'm going to kill you." She glared at him, pulling at the chains that held her.

"Now, that would be trick. Your sisters don't know where you are and they will not be able to find this place. At least, not in time." Piper glanced at Cole. He was staring at the athame that he'd been given. She had faith in him, but she also knew what he was capable of if his demon half was really in charge.

"You know." The demon continued, stepping closer to her. "It worked like a charm," he grinned at her. Piper flinched away when he touched her hair. "And I thought you witches were smart, but you honestly thought that that potion worked, didn't you?" Piper stopped, spotting something behind the men and then she actually smiled at him.

"Don't be so sure." A second later both of the demons were thrown into the wall and Cole stumbled and fell to his knees when the potion that Piper had made herself just the day before.

"Are we interrupting?" Phoebe said with a grin. Piper focused on Cole, though, hoping that the potion she'd made would work. He stared at the athame as he came to his feet. A second later, he did throw it. The younger of the two demons was vanquished just as he was about to throw an energy ball in Piper's direction. Walking over to her, he placed his hands on the chains holding her and they released.

"Thank you." She said before turning and using her power. The demon didn't blow up, but the force drove him into the wall again.

"How did you know?" He asked, struggling to stand. Piper shrugged.

"You did put on quite a show. For a little while there, I really did think...but I was focusing on what I saw, what I heard."

"So, how...?" Piper grinned.

"I cast a little spell myself." She said, her glare coming back. She'd cast the spell a while ago. Cole still had bounty hunters after him, and the reward had only gone up higher because of how long he'd been evading them.

Piper had always been a little bit terrified that he'd disappear one day and never come back, so she'd come up with a way to tell her if Cole was alright or not. It didn't really tell her where he was, but it did tell her if he was still living.

"I've got this." Cole said, putting a hand on Piper's shoulder. Piper took one look at his face and she nodded. Cole was pissed. He summoned an energy ball.

* * *

As soon as they made it back to the manor, Piper pulled Cole down into a fierce kiss, uncaring that her sisters were still in the room. She felt it when Cole shimmered them out of the living room and into her bedroom, but she didn't break the kiss.

She hadn't been lying to the demon, Raynor his name was apparently. She really had thought he was gone for a little bit. She'd been too focused on what she saw to let the magic of the spell she'd cast to tell her that he was alive.

Then she'd been so worried. She had convinced Phoebe and Prue that he was alive, which was easier than she thought it would have been. Apparently, Prue had thought it was strange that the potion had even worked on Cole. After all, Cole was powerful and the potion he'd been hit with had been meant to vanquish Sikes, not him.

Not knowing where Cole was or what was happening to him, knowing that he was in the hands of demons...She'd been so worried. Now, though, she had him back, and she wasn't going to let him go again.

Looking up at him, Piper pulled Cole down on the bed on top of her and let him make her forget about her worry for a while.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Phoebe asked as she followed Prue into the attic. Prue glanced back at her on her way to the book.

"You were all for it when we were talking about it before."

"Yes, I was, but that was when I thought we were going to actually let Piper and Cole in on this little plan." Prue shrugged.

"Well, we couldn't exactly tell them before. I mean, Cole was in the underworld and Piper was worried sick about him. It would have just made it worse if we made this plan and she did lose him."

"Okay, so why don't we tell them now?" Prue stopped flipping the pages and looked up to meet her sister's eyes.

"I don't want anyone interfering with this. I'm a little afraid of what the elders would do if they found out too much beforehand. They can't take Cole away like they did Leo but they can do something to make sure he doesn't make it, you know? Besides, if we're going to do this now, we need to start planning. Do you want to be the one to interrupt what Piper and Cole are doing in their bedroom?"

"Okay, no. Ew." She sighed. "I'm just a little worried about their reactions to this."

"They'll understand." Prue shrugged again, going back to the book. Phoebe nodded.

"Cole will. Piper, I'm not so sure about."

"She'll be okay. Now, we just need to get Grams down here." Phoebe nodded, looking unconvinced once again.

"Yeah, and how exactly are we going to convince _her _to do this?" Phoebe heard something behind her and when she turned she came face to face with Grams, who waved a hand.

"You don't have to convince me of anything." She said. Phoebe's eyes widened.

"Wait, you're okay with this? You are aware that he's half demon, right?"

"Of course I'm aware of that, Phoebe. And no, I wasn't. That was before I saw the way that Piper reacted when she thought he had been vanquished, and I know that he's been helping you girls out for the past six months."

"Right." Prue said, smiling at them. "Now all we have to do is get ready."

"And hope that Piper doesn't kill us for planning this without her." Phoebe added.

* * *

"Piper!" The call from downstairs had Piper and Cole dressing in a hurry and jumping up. They had been in bed for the night and most of the next day.

"Damn." She said, throwing Cole his shirt. He started to put it on as they both sprinted out of the room and downstairs. Both of them stopped short, however, when they got down them. Piper's mouth fell open.

"Grams?" Prue and Phoebe were both there with smiles on their faces. "What's going on?"

"We're sorry." Phoebe said nervously, coming over to the two of them. "It's just...after what happened, we wanted to do this before anything else happened, and Prue was saying how the elders could ruin it if we didn't do it as soon as possible..."

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked, looking from her sisters to her grandmother.

"Getting you two married, of course." Prue answered, walking up to stand beside Phoebe. "We thought it'd be best if it happened as soon as possible. Plus," she glanced at Cole, "it'll bind you two together so that hopefully nothing like this will happen again."

"You want to do a wedding. Now?" Piper asked her sisters incredulously. Prue shrugged and slapped Cole on the shoulder.

"Why not? He's already a member of the family. Might as well make it official." Phoebe smiled a little hesitantly.

"If we wait, then something else could happen. I mean the demons could interfere again, or them," she pointed upward.

Piper stared at her sisters and Grams for a moment. This definitely wasn't how she'd always pictured her wedding. Then again, she hadn't ever pictured herself getting married to a half demon that'd been sent to kill her.

Then she remembered the past few days and what hell that had been. She'd thought he was dead even for a little bit. That had been, by far, the worst hour of her life. She clung to his hand now, just thinking about it. She didn't think she could live the rest of her life without him. When she looked up at him, he was smiling.

"I'm okay with it." He said with a shrug. He looked happy. She smiled back at him and turned to her sisters.

"Let's do it." She said, pulling Cole ahead with her. There, in the living room of the manor, still barefoot, her hair still a mess from bed, she married the man of her dreams and she didn't think she could have been happier.

* * *

Okay, so next chapter will be my rewrite of All Hell Breaks Loose, finally.


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